No Escape
by PurpleIris88
Summary: A work inspired by the Underfell AU. Frisk has always been different, they knew that. It was the reason they had left; the reason why they had climbed that mountain. They had wanted to end it. But this? They hadn't wanted this. Warning: Beginning chapters contain violent scenes, mentions of death, and implied suicide attempts.
1. Chapter one: Mom

Chapter one: Mom

Welcome to the first chapter of my new series: **No Escape**

I was inspired by the Underfell AU (and by inspired I mean it has entirely consumed every fiber of my being) and I hope I am doing it justice. I really can't wait to get into the bulk of this story.

And please let me know what you think of Frisk's dialogue. I contemplated having them not speak at all, but I liked this idea better.

Also I am afraid this chapter may be unintentionally and severely long. Is that bad or good?

Enjoy?

Disclaimer: If I owned it then I wouldn't need to write fanfiction.

...

Frisk awoke suddenly, unexpectantly. Had they died? They felt the same as being alive. Maybe death didn't feel different. The child glanced around. They were in a darkened cavern with only a single ray of light shining down from above. They looked up to see a hole in the ceiling, the sky clearly visible far above. Had they actually survived that fall? They couldn't have, could they? Surely they would have broken... something. The child tested their limbs and patted themselves down for injuries. Nothing. Just a single scratch on their left knee, which they remembered receiving while running through the forest.

They looked down to realize that they had landed in a bed of yellow flowers. It was soft, but surly not soft enough to break a fall from that height. With another glance around Frisk noticed a stick sitting beside them. It must have fallen down along with them. The child hesitantly picked it up, a stick could be useful. After a long moment the child stood from the flower bed and decided to look around. Dead or alive, they couldn't just sit there and do nothing. They soon discovered tunnel leading somewhere and decided to venture in.

About half-way down the tunnel they heard a small voice calling from behind. "W-wait!"

Frisk quickly turned around, head turning back and forth wildly; they brandished the stick in front of themselves. Had someone followed them?

"Ahh! P-please d-don't h-h-hurt me!" The little voice was cowering below them.

The child blinked, lowering the stick slightly, before glancing to the ground. Not two feet in front of them sat a large yellow flower, not unlike the ones the child had landed in. Except this flower had a face, which was currently cringing in fear, tears forming at the corners of its eyes. Flowers didn't talk, did they? And they certainly didn't have faces or cry, right? Well, maybe they did when you were dead.

Frisk fell to their knees and sat the stick aside. The sudden motion made the flower quiver in fear. "S..s...oory." Came the child's broken and raspy voice. It took some effort, but they continued. "W...on't hu..rt y..y..ou."

"Oh..." The flower turned its head, gazing up at the child in bewilderment. "Y-you speak strangely."

The child nodded solemnly, glancing away. This flower wasn't going to tease them, were they?

The flower's eyes widened. "D-does speaking hurt you?"

Again Frisk nodded in reply.

"I-I'm s-sorry." The flower spoke softly, bowing its head.

Frisk reached out a timid hand, giving a soft pat to the flower's petals. "F...F...r..isk."

The flower looked up in confusion, it's eyes wide again. "Frisk?"

The child pointed to themselves and nodded.

"That's your name?" Another nod. "Oh... I-I'm Flowey. Flowey the flower. It's nice to meet you, Frisk."

At that the child cracked a wide, happy smile. "N..n..ice-"

"Oh! I thought I heard a someone down here." Came another voice, this one was much older and more feminine sounding than Flowey's had been.

Frisk turned around slowly, now facing a tall white furry creature. It had horns and big droopy ears and glowing red silted eyes. It was also wearing a black, white, and red tunic, big clawed paws protruding from the long sleeves. The child let out a whine of terror and fell back on their rear.

"Oh! Oh, no! Please do not be afraid, my child. My name is Toriel. I am the keeper of the ruins here." She smiled, showing off her sharp teeth. But her red eyes showed kindness and sincerity. "I will take care of you, my child. Please, come with me." She knelt down and held out a clawed paw.

Very hesitantly Frisk reached up, taking the offered paw and allowed Toriel to help them stand.

"F-Frisk! Wait!" Flowey's voice called from below.

"What... is THAT?" Toriel asked in clear disgust, her red eyes glaring down at the timid flower.

"Ah!" Frisk quickly held their hands up in a placating manner. "M...m...y f...fr..iend. F..Fl...owey." They choked out.

"Oh, dear. What is wrong with you, my child?" Toriel held her paws up to her mouth in shock.

The child frowned. "C...ca...n't-"

"F-Frisk can't speak, m-miss Toriel. It's hurts them." Flowey answered for the child, not wanting to see them in pain.

"I asked the child." She growled down at the flower.

"H...hu...rts." Frisk nodded in affirmation.

"Oh, my poor child." Toriel quickly scooped the child into a tight hug. "Come now. You must be hungry. I shall make us a pie." She took the child's hand and began to drag them away.

"F...F...Fl...owey!" They spoke quickly, tugging back on Toriel's hold. "M..my f..fr...iend."

Toriel sighed deeply, turning to send a disgusted look at the flower. "You want to bring that THING with you?"

Frisk nodded. "P...pl...pl...please." They managed, looking up with wide, pleading eyes.

Toriel was clearly exasperated by the thought, but she nodded anyway. "Alright, fine. Go pick the flower." She released the child begrudgingly.

Frisk quickly walked over and knelt down in front of the flower, lost for what exactly to do from that point.

"Don't worry." Flowey quivered, raising its roots from the ground. "You can just pick me up."

Frisk did so gently, worried that they might break the poor flower.

"Are we finished, now?" Toriel asked impatiently, tamping a pawed foot on the ground.

The child nodded in reply, carrying their friend in one arm while they reached out to take Toriel's hand with the other. The monster woman guided the child carefully through the ruins many puzzles, glaring down any other creature that attempted to approach them, effectively scaring them away. They eventually reached a small house on the opposite end of the ruins. It was dark, but cozy looking.

"We are here, my child. Your new home." Toriel pulled them along again after a short pause. She opened the door and pressed the child through before stepping in herself and closing, as well as locking, the door again. "Come this way, my child. You must be tired from our long walk." She headed down the hall, biding Frisk to follow.

They did so, Flowey still clutched gently in their arms. The flower had been silent the entire trip, shivering and quivering from time to time. Frisk felt sorry for the poor thing. Toriel didn't seem to like it, but Frisk's struggled plea had been enough to persuade her. They stopped at the first door down the hall.

Toriel opened the door to reveal a child's bedroom. It was dark without a light on, but a bed, desk, and wardrobe could be seen thanks to the light from the open door. "This will be your room, my child. You should rest while I make dinner." She then turned a red eye in Flowey's direction. "And there is a flower pot you can plant your... _friend_ into on the desk."

Frisk nodded, smiling gratefully. "T...th..ank-"

"No need to thank me, my child. This is a mother's duty. I will come get you when dinner is ready." She stood there a moment, waiting for Frisk to enter the bedroom and watched as they found the flower pot to set Flowey in. "Do you need me to tuck you in?" She finally asked.

The child turned to her with wide, wondrous eyes, nodding frantically. "P...pl..ease."

Toriel gave a toothy smile and followed the child to the bed. Frisk removed their shoes and climbed into the plush warm bed before Toriel covered them with the thick blankets, tucking gently. She then leaned down to place a fuzzy kiss on the child's forehead.

"Sleep well, my child." and with that she was gone, leaving the door open just a crack.

Frisk fell quickly to sleep, exhausted by the day they had. They didn't notice how Flowey watched them from the desk, a terrified shiver running through the flower.

...

The child was stirred by the sound of the door being opened and footsteps heading for their bed. They started awake as a large furry appendage shook them gently. Frisk sat up far too quickly, yelping in fear.

"Oh, dear. I did not mean to startle you, my child. Please calm down. It is only I, Toriel." Toriel gently patted the child's hair until their breathing went back to normal.

"S...s...s...oory." Frisk croaked out.

"It is alright, my child. Dinner is ready now, so get up and come eat." Toriel pulled the covers from atop Frisk, sending a sudden chill through the child.

They nodded, sliding out of the bed and sipping their shoes back on before following the monster woman.

"Frisk!" Flowey whispered, bidding the child over.

Frisk nodded, walking over to the desk to pick up the pot.

Toriel turned to see what the child was doing. "Silly child, flowers cannot eat pie. Leave it there."

"I c-can, too!" Flowey retorted timidly.

"F...Fl...owey, t...t...too." Frisk pleaded to Toriel, who eventually sighed and gave a stern nod.

"Hurry up before dinner becomes cold." With that she left and Frisk quickly followed, Flowey en tow.

"Hey, Frisk!" Flowey whispered in the child's ear, low enough that Toriel wouldn't be able to hear. "I have a bad feeling about Toriel. Trust me, okay? Don't leave be behind wherever you go."

After a moment of thought Frisk nodded. If you couldn't trust a talking flower, then who could you trust? They quickly passed the entryway, which Frisk noticed had a staircase going down in it, then they entered the living room/dining room. Toriel bade the child to sit at the table while she fetched their dinner. Frisk sat on one of the three chairs without bothering to wonder why there were three of them. The child sat Flowey's small pot onto the table in front of them and reached up to gently pet the flower's petals. Toriel soon returned with what appeared to be a pie, smiling toothily.

"W...w...what-" The child began with difficulty.

"What is it?" Flowey quickly finished, eyeing the dish suspiciously.

Toriel brandished a large kitchen knife and gave the flower a pointed look. She clearly disapproved of Flowey speaking for the child. She took the time to cut out two pieces and placed them on plates before answering. "This is snail pie. My specialty."

Frisk cringed at the thought of eating a snail.

"Do not worry, my child; I removed the shells. I promise it is good." She placed a plate in front of Frisk and took her own to her seat.

"Fl...Fl...owey?" The child asked.

"Eat your pie, my child." Toriel replied sternly.

"B...b...but-"

The female monster sighed heavily, clearly becoming aggravated. "If you insist on feeding that THING, then do so from your own helping. Just. Please. Eat."

With a mildly terrified look, Frisk nodded, picking up their fork. They took a shaky bite. The flavor was strange, to say the least. Not something they would have chosen to eat. But it seemed they would not be given a choice at this time, so they ate the bite regretfully before looking to Flowey, who appeared to have a pitying look on its face. Frisk took up another fork full and offered it to the flower, who happily ate it.

"I like snails." Flowey spoke after swallowing.

Frisk wondered for a moment how that worked with a flower, but figured it must be magic or something. After all, they were sitting across from a large goat-like monster. Or maybe Frisk really had died, though for that they wondered about many more things.

"My child, you are not eating." Toriel spoke in a warning tone.

The child quickly nodded and took another bite before doing the same for Flowey again. This continued in silence until the child's section of pie had been consumed. Toriel appeared pleased at the sight of the empty plate, though she was agitated that nearly half of it had gone to the flower.

"Alright, time for bed." Toriel stood up to clear the table. "Go and I will be there to tuck you in after I finish the dishes."

Frisk nodded and picked up Flowey, heading for their room. They weren't tired since they had just slept, but did as they were told anyway. They sat Flowey on the desk and took a seat in the chair there.

"See? I told you, something feels wrong here. Frisk, we shouldn't stay." Flowey whispered hurriedly.

"N...n...ni...ce." The child insisted.

Flowey gave a sigh, its petal's drooping. "I've never met a nice monster, Frisk."

The child frowned, not understanding. "S...sh...e i...is."

"I hope you are right."

...

As the days continued Frisk and Flowey spent most of their time in the child's room until they were called for a meal. They were not allowed to go outside or into the kitchen as Toriel had said those places were too dangerous for a child. Toriel's own bedroom was neat and tidy and there was a third room at the end of the hall, but it was always locked. Frisk had asked about the stairs and the monster woman had flared, announcing very severely that they were never allowed down there or else they would be punished. This had scared Frisk terribly and Toriel had apologized, soothing the child and telling them that she only wished for their safety.

Perhaps a week or so went by and Flowey continued to try and convince Frisk that they should leave. That Toriel was dangerous. "Maybe there is something downstairs." He spoke up one day.

"N...n...ot s...su...posed t...to-"

"I know that! But why? What's down there?" The flower shot back in hushed tones. Toriel had a habit of appearing without warning.

The child shrugged their shoulders. "D...do...n't c...ca...re. N...ni...ce h...he...re."

"We're not even allowed outside." Flowey reminded them.

"D...dan...ger."

"W-well... it is true that it's dangerous out there." The flower sagged, defeated again.

Frisk pet its head gently. "W...w...ill a...ask a...ab...out s...s...st...airs a...ag...in."

"What if she gets mad?" The flower gazed up in worry.

"W...ill b...be o...o...okay." Frisk liked mom, as they had gotten into the habit of calling Toriel, and they didn't want to think badly of her. But Flowey was right. Mom was scary when she became angry or agitated. And it wasn't that hard to make her agitated; especially if it had anything to do with Frisk's flower friend.

After dinner they had their nightly routine and once Toriel left the room Frisk promised Flowey they would ask in the morning about the stairs.

That didn't go so well.

Toriel became furious when Frisk had brought it up over lunch. She started to shout angrily. "You ungrateful little BRAT! After all I have done for you!" she raised her paw and smacked the child across the face with the back of it. "You are just like the others! You just want to leave me all alone! Fine! Then leave!"

The last thing the child saw was two fireballs aimed at their head.

...

Frisk woke up screaming, startling Flowey. It was the most awful sound the flower had ever heard in its entire life. The child's broken vocal chords were not to be screamed with, but scream they did.

"Frisk! Frisk! What happened? What's the matter?" Flowey desperately tried to calm its friend, but couldn't reach them from the desk and didn't want to risk falling on the floor if it tried.

Soon Toriel entered the room, a worried and panicked look on her face. "My child! What is the matter?" She rushed to Frisk's side holding them still.

The screaming stopped immediately, only to be replaced by terrified whimpers while the child tried to scuttle away from the monster woman.

"My child. It is only I, Toriel. You're mother." She held her paws out in a placating manner. "Please calm down. Tell me what happened. Did you have a nightmare?"

Frisk panted heavily, practically hyperventilating. Had it been a dream? Had all the things Flowey said to them about mom just created a horrible dream? It felt so real. They could swear they could still feel the sting of her paw striking their face and the heat of the fireballs as they neared. The child calmed a little, convincing themselves it had only been a nightmare like she said, and nodded.

"Oh, my dear child." Toriel pulled Frisk into a hug, holding them comfortingly and soothing them with petting and shushing. How could Frisk even doubt this woman? She was their mother. Wasn't she? "What happened, my child?"

Frisk sniffled, wiping at their eyes with the sleeve of their sweater. "I...I d...d...ied." They sobbed.

"Oh, no. Do not worry. I will always be here to protect you. You are my child. I am your mother. We will always be together." Toriel assured. But the words made a shudder run down the child's spine.

"M...m...mom..."

"What is it, my child?"

"Y...y...ou k...k...illed m...m-"

...

Once again the child awoke with a scream. This time they refused to tell Toriel about their "nightmare", which made her angry. Flowey attempted to defend the child, only to be torched by a fireball. Frisk cried out for their friend, but didn't have long to do so.

...

This time they just sobbed as they awoke, the searing heat still invisibly licking at their skin. They couldn't have been dreaming. It was too real. They could smell the scent of burning plants, of their own flesh as it melted from bone. Frisk took a quick glance at a worried Flowey who had once again been frantically calling their name. Just like the other times. And Toriel came in once more, just like before.

"N...n...ightm...m...are." The child sobbed out.

"Oh, no. What happened, my child."

"D...d...on't r...re...mem...ber." They lied.

...

The next morning Frisk told Flowey the plan wasn't going to work. They couldn't ask Toriel about the stairs.

"What happened last night, Frisk?" Flowey asked worriedly.

They shook their head. "T...ta...lked t...to m...mom. D...d...ied. S...sh...e k...k...ki...lled m...me."

"But it was just a nightmare, right?" Flowey asked, even more concerned now.

Again Frisk shook their head. "C...came b...ba..ck."

Now the flower appeared completely puzzled. "Back? Back to where, from where?!"

Frisk sighed heavily. "W...wo...ke u...up. T...to...day."

"Yes. You woke up crying." The flower nodded, still not understanding.

Frisk shook their head once again. "W...woke u..up. T...ta...lked t...to m...mom a...ab...out s...s...st...airs. M...mom k...k...killed m...me. W...w...oke u...up a...ag...ain t...to...day."

The flower blinked, processing the broken information. "So you mean... You died and came back to the same morning?"

The child held up three fingers.

"T-three times?!" The flower stuttered.

Frisk nodded and sighed with relief. Flowey finally understood.

"Is that...even possible?"

Frisk shrugged, feeling tired from the strain of speaking.

"How can you be so calm? She killed you! Three times!" The little creature squeaked, it's face distorting slightly.

"S...sc...ared." Frisk replied shakily. And they were indeed shaking the flower finally noticed. It reached a leaf out, brushing it lightly against Frisk's cheek.

"Frisk...we need to find a way out."

The child nodded, tears silently rolling down their cheeks.

...

The next night Frisk got out of bed as soon as they knew Toriel was asleep. Quietly slipping their shoes on to tip-toe over to the desk and take the small pot holding their one and only friend.

"We'll have to be as quiet as possible." Flowey whispered. The child nodded.

Frisk headed for the door, slowly pressing it open. They prayed it wouldn't squeak. It didn't, luckily. The child peeked their head out, peeking around and listening, hearing nothing but Toriel's light snores from the next room. Frisk let out their held breath and continued into the hallway, slowly heading for the entryway. The stairs had a chain and lock across it, blocking the way.

"Frisk, just go under. You are small enough." Flowey whispered in their ear. "Carefully."

The child nodded and gently sat the pot on the floor, got down on all fours, and crawled under the chain. Their head barely brushed the bottom of it, but it had been enough to make it jangle. Frisk froze in fear, listening carefully.

"My child, are you awake?"

Flowey quickly turned to Frisk, its wide eyes urging the child. "Hurry!"

Frisk quickly grabbed the flower pot and dashed down the stairs as quickly as they could, causing the chain to rattle even louder.

"My child?"

Frisk held back a sob.

" **HAVE YOU DISOBEYED YOUR MOTHER?!** "

They flinched as Toriel's thunderous voice echoed throughout the house and down the stairwell, nearly making them stumble on the last step. Heavy footsteps quickly ran overhead, reaching the stairs in no time. Frisk ran as fast as they could down the corridor even though they didn't know what they were looking for, right now they just didn't want to be caught by that monster.

Soon the two reached a dead end, with only a large door on the far wall. Frisk set the flower pot down and tried to pull the door open, to no avail. "L...lo...ked."

"What do we do, Frisk?!"

The child slumped down next to the flower, pulling their knees up to their chest and curling into a ball. The child merely sobbed. They didn't want to die again. They couldn't exactly recall the pain of death they had felt, but they remembered the fear perfectly well. And the look on Toriel's face; one of complete hatred.

" **YOU HAVE BEEN A NAUGHTY CHILD. YOU MUST BE PUNISHED.** " Suddenly Toriel was at the end of the hall. Frisk didn't dare to move, only shivered in fear and sobbed quietly.

"Frisk! Frisk!" Flowey was nudging the child with its leaves, trying to get them to do something, anything but just sit there.

Soon Toriel was in front of them and she easily hurled a fireball at the flower. Its tiny screams short-lived. Frisk would not be so lucky.

Toriel knelt down in front of the sobbing child and lifted their chin with her paw. "My child, why have you disobeyed me? It was that flower, wasn't it? I killed it, so don't worry. It won't take you away from me now. I only want what is best for you. I want us to be together forever. I'm your mother."

With tears streaming down their face Frisk's lips trembled out the syllables. "N...n..ot m...m...mother. M...m...mon...ster."

After a short silence of Toriel staring into the child's face with shock on her own she suddenly screeched, smacking Frisk across the face and sending them sprawling to the floor. Blood dripped down the child's head and they could only see out of one eye. Their head was spinning from the hit and searing from the pain of the three large gashes across their skin. Toriel had hit with her palm, sending her claws deep into the child's flesh. But she wasn't finished, oh no. Before Frisk had even enough time to register that their right eye was now missing, Toriel hurled two large fireballs at their legs, sending them into a fit of strangled screams.

" **YOU WERE MINE!** " The monster roared. " **WHY COULDN'T YOU JUST OBEY ME?!** " She gave a hard kick to the child's stomach, making them puke up bile along with their dinner. Frisk attempted to crawl away, but Toriel stomped on their arm, crushing it under her foot. " **WHY CAN'T YOU JUST BE A GOOD CHILD AND LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER?!** " Another hard kick was delivered, sending Frisk rolling across the room and smacking into the opposite wall. The crackle of fire was heard when Toriel towered over the small, bleeding weeping form. " **I WON'T LET ANYONE HAVE YOU!** "

...

Once again Frisk awoke in their bed, sobbing silently. They didn't want Toriel to hear. The child covered their face with their hands and curled up into their knees.

"Again?" Flowey asked from the desk. Though it hadn't needed an answer. Flowey couldn't remember the timelines. It just knew that it believed Frisk when they said they had died.

After a long while the child had calmed down and faced their flower friend, a sad smile in place. "N...n...ext t...t...ime."

"Oh, Frisk... I know we need to leave, but we need a better plan. I don't want you to get killed again."

"N...no. T...to...night."

And so they tried again. And again. Every time was much of the same. The door squeaked. The floorboard creaked. That damn chain rattled. Frisk tripped and fell or bumped something in the dark. It seemed that everything that could go wrong, did. She burned them alive, beat them to death, one time she took a detour to the kitchen and grabbed a knife. That had been an especially bad attempt.

They would wake up, crying, and Toriel would come in to comfort them. Gently petting their hair and shushing them until they calmed. She served them snail pie and other, less appetizing things. She wasn't the best cook or even the best mother, but she tried. And she truly cared. Frisk believed that, despite everything. She did care.

On their most recent attempt they had nearly gotten halfway down the stairs when Frisk suddenly sneezed. Of course. As usual they ran away to the door. And as usual Toriel quickly caught up with them. The door was locked and Frisk was pinned down again.

"Why, my child? Why must you leave me?! Don't leave me all alone! I love you!" Toriel was walking towards them, her arms wide. "Please. Come back with me."

Frisk couldn't help themselves. They ran to her; ran straight into her open arms. "I... l...ove y...ou, t...too."

"My poor sweet child." Toriel gently pet Frisk's hair. " **YOU STILL NEED TO BE PUNISHED!** "

...

Frisk never gave Flowey any details about the times Toriel had killed them. Even if they could speak properly, just the memories alone would send them into fits of helpless sobbing. It was getting harder to look the monster woman in the eyes. And she was noticing. Becoming more and more aware of the child's uncomfortable behavior every time they reset. Flowey noticed as well and was worried.

"Frisk. If the door is locked, then won't we need a key?" The flower asked.

The child nodded. "M...mom."

"Yeah, she would have the key for certain. But where do you think she keeps it?"

Frisk shook their head. "M...mom i...is k...key."

"What?" The flower glanced up in bewilderment.

"M...ma...gic. S...saw i...it." They managed to croak out.

"So then, how do WE open it?" Flowey asked, clearly afraid of the answer.

"M...om."

...

They were at the door again and for once nothing had told Toriel of their decent. Frisk had set Flowey's pot down on the floor while they waited. The child traced the groves in the door with their fingers absently before sitting down on the floor.

"I...I'm g...go...ing t...to s...sl...eep." Frisk announced.

"What?! But if you die we will start back right here." Flowey warned, terrified for its friend.

The child merely nodded. "M...ma...de i...it t...th...is f...f...far." It didn't take long for the child to fall asleep after that. There was no turning back now.

Toriel was panting and angry when she finally found them. Frisk had woken up some time ago and watched her enter the room.

"M...mom!" The child leapt up, ran over, and threw themselves into her arms.

Toriel blinked in confusion at first before she started asking questions. "What are you doing down here? You know I told you to never come down here! Why did you disobey me? Don't you know that I love you?"

"I l...love m...mom t...too." Frisk replied, hugging her tight. "F...Fl...owey n...needs t..to l...l...eave."

"What? Frisk! No!" The flower shouted, wiggling in its pot. "You can't trust her."

"I w...want t...to b...be w..wi..th m...mom." Frisk looked up at Toriel, their eyes pleading. "P...put i...it o...out...side."

After a long moment of staring into the child's eyes for any hint of deception, Toriel sighed. "I understand, my child." She left the child and walked to the door, placing her hands over it, sending magic through its frame. It slowly opened, revealing another corridor on the other side. Toriel used her foot to scoot the potted flower to the other side of the door. "I'll just get rid of this little nuisance." It was then that something ran past her, snatching up the pot along the way. It was Frisk. " **NOOOO! COME BACK HERE! HOW DARE YOU TRICK ME!** "

Frisk was terrified, but concentrated on running, their little legs carrying them as best as they could. Whatever was down this corridor they were soon going to find out, whether it was freedom or death.

They could hear Toriel's manic screams following them quickly, gaining on them. "Hurry, Frisk!" Flowey urged. "Ah! Duck!" The flower screamed, burying it's head in the crook of Frisk's neck. The child fell into a roll, just barely dodging the fireball. They quickly scrambled back up, just barely holding onto Flowey.

"Come back, my child!" Toriel was crying now, slowly trudging forward. "Stay with me! I love you! Don't leave me alone again!"

Frisk fought the urge to turn around. Taking a deep breath they ran again, finally reaching the end of the corridor. There was just another door like the first.

"W-what are the chances that this one is unlocked?" Flowey asked, quivering in its pot.

With a determined set to their jaw Frisk rushed forward, pushing their shoulder into the door. It budged. The two were surprised at first, but they didn't have time to revel in it when they heard Toriel gaining on them. Frisk put all of their strength into pushing the door open. They just needed enough room to squeeze through. The door budged, little by little, Frisk pressed the flower pot out first.

"Frisk! It's outside! We're outside!" The flower cheered.

"G...g...ood." The child gave one last push, opening the door just far enough.

" **DON'T YOU DARE TAKE ONE MORE STEP!** "

Frisk gasped, turning to see Toriel only a few feet away. She was wrecked with fury, her fur standing on end, teeth and claws gleaming in the light coming from the door. Her eyes were so wide with manic rage that Frisk feared they might fly right out of her skull.

"M...mom." Frisk saddened at the sight of her. The tears running down her fur and the huffed breaths of rage that escaped her. "L...love y...ou." The child fell backwards through the door, two fireballs flying just over their head. Once they hit the ground they kicked the door, effectively closing it. The sound of claws and screams rattled against its frame for a long time. Then there was only silence and the falling snow.


	2. Chapter two: Good Time

Chapter two: Good time

This was... interesting to write to say the least. I find that UF Sans is a very complex character, which will become more apparent in later chapters.

Enjoy?

Disclaimer: If I owned it then I wouldn't need to write fanfiction.

...

"Frisk? Are you okay?" Flowey leaned over the child, it's pot sitting just next to their head. They had been quietly crying for a long while after the silence came and it was worrying the poor flower to death.

After a long moment the child nodded, taking in a deep, shuddering breath. "W...we..'re o...out."

The flower nodded, smiling brightly. "Yeah. We made it out."

Frisk sat up, finally moving from where they had fallen into the snow. Their clothes were wet, but they didn't care. They were out. They were away from Toriel even though it broke their heart, understanding how lonely she was. Frisk had been lonely, too. With a sigh the child sat up and turned around so their back was leaning against the door, pulling the flower pot close and reaching up to pat Flowey's head. "S...sl...eep n...now."

"R-right. Good idea. Don't want to go through that again."

The child nodded before closing their eyes, soon drifting into sweet slumber.

...

"Frisk... Frisk..."

The child awoke to the feeling of something patting their face. They opened their eyes to see it was Flowey, patting them with their leaves. Frisk reached up a hand to rub the sleep from their eyes and yawned.

"Frisk, you're going to freeze if we stay here much longer. We need to find shelter." The flower spoke again, a worried look on its face.

The child nodded and stood with some difficulty. Their clothes were very wet and they shivered from the cold. They reached down to pick up the flower pot, hugging it tight to their chest. There was a path leading away from the door and into the woods. They decided it was the best option to take. The two made their way down the path, passing rows upon rows of the tallest trees Frisk had ever seen. They hopped over a branch that had fallen across and continued along their way.

 **SNAP**

Frisk stopped in their tracks and Flowey timidly glanced over the child's shoulder. Was it Toriel? Had she gotten out? The flower didn't see anything, just snow and trees and... the branch... broken into many pieces.

"Hurry, Frisk!" Flowey whispered in a panic.

And so they did. Frisk began running down the path as fast as they could with Flowey watching their back. A shadow crossed the path and the flower kept itself from squealing in fright. Soon they neared a bridge with a large gate built at the entrance and the child stopped all at once.

"Why did you stop?" Flowey turned to face its friend.

"B...br...idge." Frisk replied, pointing out in front of them.

"It... it l-looks like we can fit through the bars..." The flower stuttered, feeling the same trepidation the child was.

But before Frisk could take another step...

"Hey, don't you know how to greet a new pal?" Came a deep, drawling voice. "Turn around and shake my hand."

Timidly and hesitantly, Frisk turned around. The figure that faced them appeared to be a big boned skeleton, not quite a foot taller than the child themselves. It was wearing a black hoodie with fur around the edge of the hood, a red sweater underneath, black shorts with gold stripes, red and white sneakers and gold socks. The face of this skeleton was unlike anything the child could even imagine. It had wide eye sockets with what appeared to be white pupils floating inside however the left eye seemed to be eternally glowing red. The skeleton's mouth appeared to be in a lazy grin and its teeth were jagged and sharp like knives. One single tooth on the left side was gold and glimmering in the light.

The skeleton held out its boney left hand expectantly, waiting for the child to comply. Frisk slowly reached their hand out to meet the offered one despite Flowey's whispered protests. They had a bad feeling, but what's the worst that could happen? It was just a handshake.

Their hands met and a jolt of electricity suddenly shot through the child's entire body, sending them crumpling to the ground in a fit of convulsions, Flowey's pot rolling away from the child's arm. The skeleton still held tight to their hand, its jagged grin widening. Frisk couldn't even make a sound as much as they wanted to scream. The electricity was shutting down every single function in their body. They couldn't even hear Flowey calling out to them.

The skeleton leaned down so its face was directly in front of the child's. "Heh. Didn't anyone tell you, kid? Down here it's kill or be killed."

The skeleton's grin and that shiny gold tooth were the last things Frisk saw.

...

Frisk awoke with a start, their body quivering and tears running down their face.

"Frisk! Are you okay? D-did you die?" Flowey asked hesitantly. It knew the child only awoke in such a manner after death.

Frisk nodded slowly, their eyes wide. "S...sk...ele...ton." They gasped out.

"A skeleton?"

The child nodded. They pulled Flowey's pot closer and gently hugged the flower. "T...tr...y a...ag...in."

Flowey nodded.

After a moment of respite the child once again picked up the flower pot and headed down the path. Flowey nervously glanced this way and that, keeping an eye out for any other monsters. Once again they passed the branch, it snapped behind them just like before. Frisk ran to the bridge and didn't hesitate to pass the large gate, walking between the bars. And then they were falling forward, a deep pain in their chest ripping a strangled scream from their lips. Flowey's pot went skidding across the bridge, nearly falling off the edge.

Frisk caught the fall with their hands but collapsed over onto their side anyway. There was a large bone sticking out from their chest, glowing red with magic and the child's blood.

"That was pretty rude, kid. I was going to greet you properly and everything." Came the skeleton's voice. Frisk didn't have the strength to turn and look, but they knew it was the same one from before. "Well, guess there's no help for bad manners." They could practically hear the shrug in its voice.

...

Again Frisk woke up crying. And again Flowey asked if they had died. Frisk explained, as best as they could, what had happened. Leaving out the death details, as usual.

"So we can't just run away?" Flowey asked.

Frisk shook their head, gazing down sadly.

"Then you will have to outsmart this skeleton, like you did with Toriel." Flowey slapped its leaves together.

The child shrugged slightly. They didn't know anything about this monster and they weren't sure if it was up for talking. Not that Frisk was going to be much help there.

They set out along the path again, the branch snapped, but this time Frisk didn't run, they just calmly continued towards the bridge. Well, as calm as they could be with someone who had already killed them twice hiding among the trees. Frisk stopped when they reached the bridge, waiting for what they knew was coming.

"Hey, don't you know how to greet a new pal?" Came the skeleton's voice. "Turn around and shake my-" Frisk turned before he could finish, holding out their right hand. The skeleton stared at it a long moment, it's eye sockets seeming to widen in confusion. "Hand..."

Suddenly the skeleton chuckled, retracting its left hand and offering it's right instead. They shook and nothing happened.

"I'm Sans. Sans the skeleton." He offered, still holding tight to Frisk's hand.

"F...F...Fr...isk." The child choked out.

"Jeez, what's wrong with you, kid?" Sans' grin lowered a fraction.

"They can't speak properly. It hurts them." Flowey offered, feeling defensive for its friend.

"I didn't ask you, ya weed." Sans sent a glare in the flower's direction, his left eye glowing maliciously. Meanwhile Frisk pulled their hand, trying to free it from the skeleton's grip, which only became tighter. "What's the matter, kid? Don't like holding hands?" He chuckled.

"P...pl...ease." Frisk begged, giving the skeleton a pleading stare.

After a single, painfully tight squeeze Sans let go and Frisk quickly pulled their hand to their chest.

"Uh... just so ya know, kid. I can't let you pass this spot right here. I'm gonna have to kill you." His grin widened again, the one golden tooth gleaming.

"W...wh...y?" Frisk asked, shuddering in fear.

Sans shoved both hands into his jacket pockets and shrugged his shoulders. "It's my job; kill any human who tries to pass through here. Boss's orders."

"You could just let us pass. Just this once." Flowey offered.

Sans grin became malicious, his red eye glowing brighter. "Now that would just take all the fun out of this, wouldn't it?" He removed his left hand from his jacket; it was glowing red just like his eye. Suddenly bones appeared in the air, glowing with the same red magic.

Frisk's eyes widened with fear at the sight and they instinctively took a step backwards. "N...no. P...pl...ease."

"Sorry, kid. Unfortunately for you, I really like my job."

...

Frisk sighed after relaying the last run to Flowey. The flower was always shocked when Frisk awoke crying or screaming, but the child was already getting used to the feeling. They had died so many times in Toriel's house. But it was becoming clear that they were not getting past Sans very easily. His attacks were fast and appeared out of nowhere. Not to mention that, unlike Toriel, he had no intention of keeping the child alive.

Frisk ventured out again, Flowey clutched tightly in their arms. "Frisk, if this path is no good, then maybe we should try going through the woods? It's worth a try, right?"

After a moment of contemplation the child nodded and turned to head into the trees. They walked on for a short while, navigating over fallen branches and through built up snow drifts, which made the child shiver in their wet clothes. They had only walked to around where Frisk assumed the bridge was probably at when they heard a shuffling behind them.

"Yer not trying to avoid me, are ya, kid?" It was Sans. "Because that would be pretty rude."

Frisk turned around, nearly falling in the deep snow. They shivered from both the cold and from fear. "I...I...I'm-"

"What's the matter, kid? Cat got your tongue?" The skeleton laughed at his own joke.

The child instantly closed their mouth, frowning deeply. They held Flowey closely, hugging the flower pot to their chest.

"So what's with the daisy anyway, kid?" Sans asked with lopsided grin, his hands stuffed in his pockets. "Bit cold for planting, dont'cha think?"

"I'm not a dasiy!" Flowey squeaked, sending the skeleton a glare before quivering back as Sans returned it tenfold.

"M...my f...fr...iend." Frisk spoke up.

"Friend?" Sans laughed. And he kept laughing. He laughed so hard he doubled over and held his gut, even though he didn't have one. Once he was finished he reached a bony hand up to wipe away imaginary tears. "Heh. Ain't nobody got any friends around here, kid. Around here, it's kill or be killed. But you already knew that, didn't you?"

...

"So we can't go around, either..." Flowey drooped.

Frisk shook their head sadly. "W...wh...at-"

"I don't know what we should do. We can't just stay here forever. Even if you freeze to death we will just end up right back here anyway." Flowey muttered, then glanced up at the child's face. "S-s-sorry. I didn't mean it that way, Frisk."

Again the child shook their head. "S...Sa...ns."

"But you said he just wants to kill us."

"T...try."

Flowey sighed. "I guess we don't have much choice at this point, do we?"

Frisk took a deep, determined breath and stood up.

They were back at the bridge and didn't waste any time turning around to face Sans. He hadn't even had a chance to speak yet, which seemed to take the skeleton off guard.

"What's this? You gonna fight me?" Sans asked, his hands once again stuffed in his pockets.

Frisk shook their head. "T...ta...lk."

The skeleton snorted. "Who, you?"

The child huffed, sending him a glare. "Y...y...ou r...re...m...mem...ber."

At that Sans' grin turned into a serious frown. "I don't know what yer talkin' 'bout, kid."

...

Frisk sighed and banged the back of their head against the door.

"Frisk?" Flowey asked with worry, watching them intently. Oh how Frisk wished their friend could remember the resets. It was painful to explain every time, especially since each time came with more questions.

The child merely held up their fingers, a count of their deaths. The flower understood that.

"Frisk... there has to be a way. We already got this far, right?"

"T...ta...lk." Frisk replied.

"But... isn't it painful?"

"N...no c...ch...oice."

They were at the bridge again, Frisk sighed as Sans began his usual spiel. "S...S...ans." They spoke up without turning around.

He stopped mid-sentence, his left hand half-way out of his pocket. There was a long silence before the skeleton chuckled. "Alright, kid. I'll bite." He shrugged, his hand returning fully into his pocket. "Who told you my name?"

"Y...ou d...did."

"Heh. Nice try, kid. But this is the first time we've met."

Frisk turned around, giving Sans a serious stare. "N...not s...su...pri...sed b...by h...ow I t...alk?"

The skeleton let out a breath, his right pupil fading out into darkness. Then he shrugged, chuckling. "And here I thought I was doing so well. Guess the jig is up."

Flowey glanced back and forth between Sans and Frisk. "W-what? What's going on?"

"H...he r...re...mem...bers."

"And so do you, kiddo."

...

Frisk pounded their fists into the snow out of frustration.

"Frisk?"

The child didn't bother to explain; they merely picked up Flowey and headed for the bridge.

"Frisk? What's going on?" The worried flower stared at its friend as they were jostled around by the child's running.

Frisk was winded by the time they reached the bridge. This time Sans was waiting for them, leaning against the pillar with his hands shoved in his pockets as usual.

"Eager to die again?" The skeleton chuckled. "You even got here in record time."

"S...st...op k...ki...ll-

"Sorry, can't hear you. You'll have to **_speak_** up."

...

The child groaned. This was just becoming frustrating now. It was obvious that Sans was just playing with them.

"F-Frisk?"

The child sighed. "F...Fl...owey, w...we c...ca...n't ma...ke i..it."

"What happened?"

Frisk explained as best as they could. Flowey had nodded along and asked questions. The entire thing was tiring and Frisk was getting sick of doing it over and over. "S...sl...eep a...gain."

"But you just woke up."

"W...ant y..ou t..to r...re..mem...ber."

And so Frisk forced themselves to sleep, saving their progress. Flowey woke them back up soon after they had fallen fully asleep. They couldn't waste too much time.

"What are we going to do, Frisk?"

"T...ta...lk."

Sans was waiting at the bridge again, clearly he saw no point in doing the same actions over and over when they all knew what was going on. "That took you a while. I was beginning to worry I might have to go looking for you."

"T...ti..red" The child replied.

"Huh? What's that?" Sans pushed away from the pillar. "If you're getting bored I've got more than just bones up my sleeve." He chuckled at his own joke.

"N...no m...mo..re k...ki...lling."

"Sorry, Kid. I told you already; it's my job. And I like it." He shrugged, stepping towards the child. "But I guess it is getting a little old, killing you in the same way every time." His grin widened and he pulled his left hand from his jacket; it was glowing red. Suddenly what appeared to be a strange spiked and horned animal skull appeared, floating above Sans' head. "This is a blaster. It's called that because...well, you'll find out in a minute." He chuckled.

Frisk took a step back, holding Flowey close. Said flower was terrified, huddling down inside its pot. "P..pl...ease." The child pleaded.

"Heh. Maybe next time, kid."

...

"So... what'll it be this time?"

"P...pl..ease l...li...sten."

"Kinda hard, all things considered, kid." Sans chuckled.

Frisk frowned at that, letting out a huff of frustration.

"Nah, I get it. You want me to spare you, but I'm not going to. I'm going to keep killing you until I get tired of it."

...

"W...why?"

"Why? Because I like this." Sans snorted. "Look, kid, I don't have to work hard; you just keep coming back here, letting me do it." He shrugged. "Too bad. You had the bad luck of coming through here when I was actually on patrol."

...

"Why do you keep trying? I'd imagine dying over and over again isn't pleasant. Unless you like that sort of thing, huh?" Sans shrugged, letting out a chuckle. "But I guess you don't have much choice, do you?"

"P...pl...ease-"

"Kid, did anyone ever tell you that your conversation skills suck?"

...

Frisk sat in the snow, huffing and grumbling.

"No luck, I take it?" Flowey asked, watching its friend with pity.

Frisk shook their head and sighed. "W...wo...n't l...li...sten."

"Do I even want to know how many times you tried?"

The child shook their head again. They sat there a long while, wondering what to do. Suddenly the crunch of snow was heard and the two glanced up.

"What? Did ya get sick of me already, kid?" It was Sans. He stood in front of them with a bored expression on his skull.

Frisk's eyes widened and the child shot up to their feet. This was the first time he had come to them. "W..wh...y-"

"I was bored waiting for you." He replied with a shrug. "Also, I got to thinking. If we are going to keep living this same day over and over again, then we may as well make it a bit more interesting, right?"

Frisk didn't like the idea of that.

Sans raised his left hand and summoned a bone, instantly sending it flying straight for the kid. Frisk didn't have the time to dodge and was pinned to the wall by their right shoulder, causing them to release a strangled cry of pain.

"That sound never gets old." Sans chuckled.

"Frisk!" Flowey watched in horror as the child squirmed and cried out, their arm hanging limp and useless as blood seeped into their sweater around where the large bone protruded.

"This thing has been getting on my nerves." Sans raised his left hand and a red glow surrounded Flowey. "Always crying "Frisk! Frisk!" every single time I kill you." The pot lifted up in the air and with just a flick of the skeleton's wrist it smashed against the wall not two inches from the child's head. Flowey and the pieces of pottery fell to the ground. "It gets old really fast."

"F...Fl...ow-"

"Don't worry, kid." Sans stepped forward, making sure to stomp on the flower, which let out a scream. "See? It's still alive. For a minute." He shifted his foot, grinding the poor creature beneath the snow. He didn't stop until the screams did.

Frisk's chest was racked with sobbing. How many times have they watched their friend die now?

"Eh... it'll be back." Sans spoke with annoyance in his voice. "But for now... I'm gonna have a **_good time_**."

...

When Frisk awoke they instantly curled into a ball, crying loudly.

"Oh, no! Frisk, what happened?" Flowey reached out with a leaf, but the child merely flinched away. "W-what did he do to you?"

Frisk shook their head, refusing to look up from where they were huddled around their knees. This had been their most awful death yet. They didn't even want to think about it let alone tell Flowey. They had been slowly ripped to shreds, piece by piece, for hours. And all the while Sans laughed and cracked jokes.

Despite Flowey's attempts to rouse the child they refused to move or even acknowledge that the flower was there. It wasn't long before Sans showed up again.

"What's the matter, kid? You givin' up already?" He snorted. "And here I thought we were having such a good time. I'm really starting to get **_attached_** to you." He laughed. But when Frisk didn't respond Sans raised his left hand and a red glow appeared around the child. "Hey... You listenin' or what?"

Frisk was suddenly raised from the ground, finally eliciting a response from them. Their eyes shot open and they tried to struggle, futilely thrashing about.

"Hey, now. Settle down, kid." The skeleton beckoned with a boney finger, bringing the child forward towards him. "Let's have a little **_chat_** , huh?" He chuckled.

Frisk was dangling at least a foot off the ground, their eyes level with Sans' own. The child hiccupped, tears streaming down their face. They had given up struggling since it clearly wasn't going to do them any good. "N...not f...fu...nny." They choked out.

"Aww, c'mon. It was a little funny." He reached up his right hand to pat the child's face, causing them to flinch away. "You can't go giving up on me now, kid. Things were just getting good. We were getting to know each other so very **_intimately_**." His left eye flared with malicious intent.

Frisk sniffled, shivering from the memories. They didn't want to go through that again. Toriel had never been that cruel despite all the times she had killed them. Toriel had loved them. Sans loved killing them. Or torturing them, as the case may be. He knew Frisk remembered every death and he used that fact to further torment the child.

"It's alright, kid. You'll be just fine; sitting right back here after it's over, right? What's the big deal? You've already died so many times you gotta be used to it by now." Sans shrugged, pulling Frisk closer. "And besides, you died before I was finished last time." He reached his right hand up again, stroking the side of Frisk's face with his boney fingers. "Humans are so interesting; so different from monsters. Soft and easily broken."

"D...do...n't." Frisk whined, more tears filling their eyes. "I c...ca...n't-"

Suddenly the hand that had been caressing their face smacked into their cheek, hard. "Nah, kid. I'm not going to do the same thing again. That took up so much time and repeats are always boring." The skeleton shrugged. "How about we play a little game instead?"


End file.
